


Wake from Death and Return to Life

by zovinar



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: (also: fake character death), (former character death), Fix-It, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Character Death, can't catch me bad thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 14:12:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12819249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zovinar/pseuds/zovinar
Summary: 【起死回生】(Kishikaisei)Japanese:wake from death and return to life(idiomatic)Transforming a desperate situation with a sudden burst of strength.Resurrection, rebirth.





	Wake from Death and Return to Life

 

Brown had looked stricken when he’d asked.

(Brown is the one who finally told him)

 

* * *

 

He’s not exactly sure how he ended up in Father’s study, standing in front of Father’s desk: cold, still, disbelieving.

He thinks he remembers his footsteps barely blending into the echoing silence of the manor.

He feels like he’s been carved out of ice.

He feels Father’s hand on his shoulder.

Hears a concerned voice ask something of him.

“—Whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait until you’ve rested up—”

“No.”

“Damian?”

He can’t, he steps back out of Father’s hold.

“What’s wrong—?”

“I trusted you.”

And Father had looked confused.

“I trusted you with his life and you failed.”

There it is, there’s the look. Recognition, as if he actually had to think about why his son was so upset. “Damian…it’s the job. Sometimes we can’t save everyone, can’t fix everything.”

“No, you don—” He closes his eyes, takes a breath. “Father, I died for him,” he can’t, “I died and you threw away my sacrifice.”

Father’s face is full of pain and regret, but not enough. His expression looks like sorrow brushed over pity and Damian— _he can’t he can’t he can’t—_ Damian leaves. He can’t stand Father looking at him like that, like he understands.

Because he obviously doesn’t.

He stops himself at the doorway, chin high, voice rough, nails biting into his palms. “I would have appreciated you at least having the decency to tell me that my Batman is dead.”

He can tell it hurts Father. It was meant to.

(It was the truth)

 

* * *

 

He closes himself in his room, forehead leaning against the door. He can’t quite convince his hand to let go of the handle. Titus whines from the other side.

Titus had been a gift of appeasement from his father. He cares for him regardless, but the point still stands.

(Robin was a gift of trust from—)

He steps wearily towards his bed, running his hand over his desk, now cleared of pencil dust and loose papers, slides fingers over his computer, still plugged in and charging, reaches for his phone and—wait.

Wait.

That’s not his, that was never…

Pennyworth hadn’t done more than tidy and dust in his absence, so the small pile clutter is still on his bedside table: spare change, his stylus, a couple of trackers, the knife he used for his pencils, a few nibs, the SD card full of blackmail photos that he’d stolen from Drake, a screwdriver, keys, and…and something else: a small charm, like one of the ones Brown bought to dangle from bags and zippers.

It’s the Batman symbol, not Robin, not Nightwing, Batman.

Honestly, it’s nothing much, just a cheap bit of plastic with a generic design pressed between the clear layers.

But.

_“Sometimes, sometimes I’ll have to lie to you. It sucks, I always did hate it when Bruce did it, but sometimes it’ll be necessary to save lives, to protect people. To protect you.”_

Damian rubs his fingers along the edge, catching on the sharpened ears. The colors are stylized, pale yellow symbol set in a dark blue disk.

_“Just know that I’ll hate it every time, okay Dami?”_

Midnight blue, a color that will catch and blend into the gloom of Gotham rather than a stark black or grey.

_“And if I can, I dunno, give you a hint? I will, but I’ll have to trust that you’ll absolutely and completely play along, okay Damian? Remember: life or death thing, partner.”_

_Play along._

He sews it into his tunic behind the Robin R. Presses his fingers against it on his first night back out on patrol.

_“Anyway, that the last of the depressing stuff, I swear. C’mon kid, let’s hit the streets, this is a big deal y’know?  Batman and Robin. Together again for the first time.”_

(Play along)

 

**Author's Note:**

> (god zov, [why are you talking about colors so much](https://i.gyazo.com/fd0ec6f57175804bea82934b7ef6c8c7.jpg)??? [does it even matter](http://nightops.net/doc/mov_stealth/Stealth%20Guide%20-%20Urban%20Nokizaru.pdf)??)
> 
> anyway, kept reading fics where dick's "death" fucks damian over super hard then comparing it to the comic where his reaction is the least violent. 
> 
>  
> 
> (can't catch me bad thoughts)


End file.
